Risk of exposure to air pollution among British children with and without intellectual disabilities

Exposure to outdoor air pollution is a well-established risk factor for a range of adverse health conditions. No previous study has quantified the extent to which children with intellectual disability (ID) may be exposed to outdoor air pollution.

Secondary analysis of data extracted from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of over 18 000 UK children born 2000-2002.

Averaging across ages, children with IDs were 33% more likely to live in areas with high levels of diesel particulate matter, 30% more likely to live in areas with high levels of nitrogen dioxide, 30% more likely to live in areas with high levels of carbon monoxide and 17% more likely to live in areas with high levels of sulphur dioxide.

Levels of exposure to outdoor air pollution among children with ID are significantly higher than those of families of children without ID. Exposure to outdoor air pollution may be one of the pathways that contributes to the health inequities experienced by people with IDs.